


Not Yet.

by Trekkele



Series: Tumblr Drabbles [10]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen, the Universe has use of you, themes of death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 13:23:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16954869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trekkele/pseuds/Trekkele
Summary: James Tiberius Kirk, and all the times the Universe would not let him die.





	Not Yet.

**Author's Note:**

> crossposted from my tumblr

James Tiberius Kirk died 3.5 minutes after the doctor logged his name, shuttle-craft rattling around him and Winona sobbing, cradling him against her chest. His body couldn’t handle the strain and gave up.

But the Universe whispered,  _Not Yet._

And he drew his own rattling breath and screamed to rival the dying starship behind them.

Jimmy Kirk died hanging ten feet off the ground, his honorary aunts and uncles not twenty feet away and laughing at the children’s antics. He hit the ground wrong, and he could hear footsteps against the grass even as the world drew black.

But the Universe whispered,  _Not Yet_.

And he scrambled to his feet, front tooth in his palm and laughing into his mother’s terrified embrace.

Jimmy Kirk died slamming against the kitchen cabinets, because he’d never wanted to hurt his mother, but his uncle had no such morals and didn’t care if a twelve year old couldn’t possibly be blamed for burning dinner.

But the Universe whispered,  _Not Yet_.

And he threw a plate at his uncle’s head, scrambling out the door as fast as a bruised ankle and a black eye could take him.

(he did not die dangling off the edge of a cliff. But then, it had never about dying anyways)

JT died in a cell block under a governors palace, starved and beaten and angry, bleeding from whip marks across his back and a brand seared into his side, teeth bared and screaming.

But the Universe whispered,  _Not Yet_.

(But the governor shouted,  _Not Yet._ )

And he opened his eyes, bared his bloody teeth again and said “not today.”

Jay Smith died on a planet several light-years away from Riverside, because slavers still don’t take kindly to being cheated and freeing slaves is a risky business at the best of times. It’s never been the best of times.

But the Universe whispered,  _Not Yet_.

And he drags himself out of a back alley on a planet he won’t name and decides it might be a good time to start again.

Jim Kirk died laid out on a bar table, beaten black and blue and laughing, because at least it was a good fight. He’d put up with a lot of things for a good fight.

But the Universe whispered,  _Not Yet_.

And he rolled off his back to a piercing whistle and a second (third, fourth, fifth) chance.

Jim Kirk died on an ice planet closer to home then he knew, venom creeping through his blood stream the faster he ran. A lifeforms previously unclassified wrapped itself around his ankle and ice clawed it’s way down his throat.

But the Universe whispered,  _Not Yet_.

And he climbed his way up a cliff of ice, finding allies that should not exist in this time stream.

James T. Kirk, Captain of the Starship Enterprise, died pressed up against the glass of radiation proof aluminum, blood ripping itself apart and DNA unraveling slowly. He died with eyes wide open, dilithium blue and radiation clouding them even as the ship steadied itself and his crew fell apart.

But the Universe whispered-

But the Universe was silent.

.

.

.

His crew was not.

 _Not Yet_ , McCoy whispered, running calculations over and over again.

 _Not Yet_ , Uhura whispered, intercepting Admirals and officers that demanded answers they didn’t have.

 _Not Yet_ , Carol whispered, re-calibrating the cryo-tube for another test.

 _Not Yet_ , Spock whispered, standing guard over his Captain.

 _Not Yet_ , his crew whispered, daring the Universe to take a step closer.

But the Universe was silent.

.

.

.

James Tiberius Kirk opened his eyes, a thousand stars forgetting to breath when he did.

A dying starship screams behind him, but he can’t hear her. A branch cracks, a plate shatters, chains and whips and everything they ever said smack against his sides. He can’t hear them. Ice and fire and stardust runs through his veins and the Universe should learn to fear what he’s become.

He smiles bright enough to rattle the stars, and the Universe waits.

But he whispers,  _Not Yet_.


End file.
